Introduction to Worldviews
The believer and the unbeliever have conflicting worldviews/outlooks.
Worldview: a network of pre-suppositions which are not tested by natural science, in terms of which all experiences are related and interpreted
- Determines what a person believes and how he/her lives his/her life
- By which the particulars of life are related and made conclusive
(Taking things for granted... pre-suppositions, preconditions)
If you are committed to Christ at ANY particular point in your life, then you need to be commited to Christ at EVERY point in your life.
...you should have a distinct way of looking at everything through the Christian "worldview," because it IS the basic, fundamental worldview; not a narrow worldview
3 major divisions of philosophy
- METAPHYSICS
- studies the nature, origin, and structure of reality
- addresses questions of:
- nature of man
- nature of the universe
- nature of God
- change/development; history
- character of laws, concepts, universals, uniformity
- basically they're studying the same things as Christians but in a secular view (i.e.: creation, fall, and consummation), the vocabulary is just different
- EPISTOMOLOGY
- theory of knowledge; nature and limits of knowledge (belief, truth, justification)
- addresses questions of:
- truth and objectivity
- relationship between belief and knowledge
- standards/procedures for justifying beliefs
- procedures of science
- basically, revelation
- the Christian worldview has a certain epistomology as well
- ETHICS
- studies right and wrong, good and bad; moral responsibility and obligation
- addresses questions of:
- nature of good and evil, language about ethical judgments
- standard of ethics & ethical evaluation
- guilt, atonement & personal peace
- nature of social order and the state
- how we produce/attain moral character and conduct
The Christian Counterparts
- Creation
- Fall
- Redemption
- Consummation
Worldviews that we should be aware of
Monism (spiritual sense): all of reality is one kind of thing
e.g.: Hinduism (everything is one, despite appearances)
- goal: to achieve oneness through meditation (if not achieved, you cycle back over and over)
other e.g.: hari chrishna, christian science, new age
Dualism: all of reality is two kinds of things - matter and mind / flesh and spirit
e.g.: idealism (tend to be intuitionist in terms of epistomology and ethnics)
stoicism & moralism (man lives for the sake of duty)
Atomism (materialistic sense): reality is made up of matter that can be broke up into atoms
within atomism there is a division over freedom:
a) Deterministic: man does NOT have individual freedom (e.g.: behaviorism, marxism
b) Hedonism: man does have a free will that can be exercised, in particular to pursue pleasure...
i. Egoism: man should live for individual pleasure
ii. Utilitarianism: man should live for the pleasure of the group (e.g.: socialism)
iii. Existentialism: man should exercise his free will to define for himself what he will be
Pragmatism/Skepticism: no knowledge of ultimate reality
a) Pragmatism - man should just live by solving problems and moving on
b) Skepticism - can't know anything at all
i. Sophism: just get ahead in life, learn to win arguments
ii. Cynicism: no basis for living in any particular way
be able to identify the other party's worldview
Monism (spiritual sense): all of reality is one kind of thing
e.g.: Hinduism (everything is one, despite appearances)
- goal: to achieve oneness through meditation (if not achieved, you cycle back over and over)
other e.g.: hari chrishna, christian science, new age
Dualism: all of reality is two kinds of things - matter and mind / flesh and spirit
e.g.: idealism (tend to be intuitionist in terms of epistomology and ethnics)
stoicism & moralism (man lives for the sake of duty)
Atomism (materialistic sense): reality is made up of matter that can be broke up into atoms
within atomism there is a division over freedom:
a) Deterministic: man does NOT have individual freedom (e.g.: behaviorism, marxism
b) Hedonism: man does have a free will that can be exercised, in particular to pursue pleasure...
i. Egoism: man should live for individual pleasure
ii. Utilitarianism: man should live for the pleasure of the group (e.g.: socialism)
iii. Existentialism: man should exercise his free will to define for himself what he will be
Pragmatism/Skepticism: no knowledge of ultimate reality
a) Pragmatism - man should just live by solving problems and moving on
b) Skepticism - can't know anything at all
i. Sophism: just get ahead in life, learn to win arguments
ii. Cynicism: no basis for living in any particular way
be able to identify the other party's worldview
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